


• !\ lO ivQ the Pooplo of the ristriot of Golui._ 

that Congress i^ bound' to resp^^ctv 



ights 



SPEECH 



V 



*> ' 



IIALLET J^I'.BOUEN, : 



T)i.n ivi ju:-' .iT 



iHSrCOX^XNT HI^ILiL, 



n'UTHEi;A:sOE of 'jh; v' 



AN IKTEKNATlOxNAL ISDUSTKl.' i EXH 



//^^ Washinfjion Ciiy. D. C, in Ir 




WASIIIKQ;^^ CE'i'i 



Have the People of the District of Columbia any rights 
that Congress is bound to respect ? 



SPEECH 



OF 



HALLET KILBOUElSr, 



DELIVERED AT 



i_.insrooiL.2>r hz^lh.. 



ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE GENERAL COMMITTEE AND CITIZENS IN 
FURTHERANCE OF THE MEASURE TO HOLD 



AN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION 

In Washington City, D. C, in 1872. 



WASHINGTON CITY: 

'gill k WITHEROW, PRINTERS AND STERE0TYPER8. 

1870. 



Congress and the District of Columbia. 



SPEECH 



INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION. 

At an adjourned meeting of the general committee and citi- 
zens of Washington, held at Lincohi Hall, on Saturday evening, 
January 15, 187,0, 

Mr. Hallet. Kilbourn introduced the following resolution, 

which was passed unanimously : 

"Ii?solved, That a commitlce of twenty be appointed by tlu' chair to wait upon 
Congress and urge the passage of the bill granting a charter for the proposed 
International Exhibition, to held at the national capital." 

Mr. Kilbourn said that in submitting this resolution he wished ' 
to make a few remarks for the benefit of the committee to be 
appointed. He then said: 

Mr. Chairman and Fellow-Citizens: I appreciate the full 
force of the remarks made by our chairman this evening, when 
he said it was our duty to go before Congress and demand atten- 
tion from the nation's legislators in furtherance of our efforts to 
accomplish the grand enterprise of having an International 
Exhibition at the national capital. 

It is time that we raised the question, have the people of the 
District of Columbia any rights which Congress is bound to re- 
spect? )is an humble citizen of this District, I am tired of 
dancing attendance about the halls of Congress begging for 
privileges which, as American citizens, it is our right to demand. 
[Applause.] 

We go before the committee of Congress to which is assigned 
all matters pertaining to the welfare and prosperity of the 170,000 
people of this District, and what is generall}^ the result? While 
on all proper measures we can secure unanimous action in the 
committee-rooms, yet when members disperse into the halls of 
legislation their interest in District matters is generally dissi- 
pated, and our efforts come to naught. 

When the committee on District matters is called to report 
business, but once or twice in a session, there is some excuse, 
perhaps, for not keeping up the earnestness manifested in the 



committee-room; but the interests of no other 170,000 American 
tax-payers is neglected for any such reason. The real fact" 
patent to all, why our requests are not properly considered by 
Congress is, that we have no political power, and no legislator is 
dependent upon our suffrages for his sucb^ssion in office. 

It is my candid opinion that had Noah ^'esided in the District 
of Columbia, and it had been necessary to procure a charter 
from Congress before building the ark, the human race would 
have been extinguished with the Deluge. [Loud applause and 
laughter.] 

/ Now, Mr. Chairman, let me state some of the reasons why I 
say the citizens of the District of Columbia have a right to de- 
mand of Congress the proper and prompt consideration and 
action upon measures presented for the promotion of our welfare- 

'^ "We pay a revenue tax to maintain and support the Grovernment 
of the United States far in excess of the amount paid by several 
of the States, as the following exhibit shows': 

Revenue tax collected hy the Oeneral Government since the enactment of the 
internal revenue law from the people of the following States and Territories, 
up to June 30, ] 869 : 

Minnesota $2,005,933 54 

Kansas 1,537,344 95 

Oregon 1,652.901 13 

Nevada / 1,550,675 40 

Nebraska [ \ 555,377 15 

From the eight Territories — New Mexico, Utah, Montana, Idaho, 

Colorado, Dakota, Washington, and Arizona 2,457,549 19 

District of Columbia 3,505,397 51 

This tax collected from the people of the District of Columbia 
does not include the immense tax collected from the several 
thousand G-overnment employees in Washington. The amount 
of their tax is deducted from their salaries by the Grovernment 
disbursing agents. 

By this statement, which is taken from the reports of the 
Commissioner of Internal Eevenue, it will be seen that the people 
of the District of Columbia have paid within about three per 
cent, as much revenue tax to support the general Government of 
the United States as was collected from the three great States 
of Kansas, Nebraska, and Nevada combined! [Cheers.] Thsee 
three States (have six Senators and three members of Congress 
to represent their interests in the councils of the nation, while 
the people of the District of Columbia are denied all repre- 
sentation. 
"^ The amount of the revenue tax paid to support the Govern- 
ment of the United States by the people of this District is 75 



per cent, greater than has been collected from the people of MinJ 
nesota, who have two Senators and two members of Congress to 
represent their interests. [Cheers.] It is more thai! 100 per 
cent, greater than the amount collected from the States of Kan- 
sas, Oregon, and Nevada, respectively. [Cheers.] It is over 15 
per cent, greater than has beei^ paid by the people of the State 
of E'ebraska and the eight TJerritories of New Mexico, Utah, 
Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Dakota, AYashington, and Arizona 
combined. [Great applause.]' Nebraska has her two Senators and 
a member of Congress, and the eight Territories are represented 
by eight delegates. The amount of the revenue tax collected 
from the people of this District is 600 per cent, more than has 
been collected from the people of the great State of Nebraska ; 
and yet the people of Nebraska are fully protected by their Sen- 
ators and members, who, in addition to representing the interests 
of their great State, have, in conjunction with the Eepresenta- 
tives of the several States, exclusive jurisdiction over this Dis- 
trict, while our inhabitants are entirely cut off from representa- 
tion in the Government we pay so much to sustain. [Applause 
and cheers.] 

.The people of the gallant State of Vermont, Avho are repre- 
Siented by two illustrious Senators and three distinguished Eep- 
^i^esentatives, have paid a revenue tax of $4,609,397 49 to support 
/and maintain the Government of the United States, while the peo- 
ple of this District have paid $3,505,397 71, and are denied by Con- '" 
gress the necessary legislation to organize our industrial ener- 
gies and promote the general welfare of our people. Florida, 
with two Senators and a Eepresentative, paid but $1,471,763 63 
revenue tax; and Arkansas, with her two Senators and three 
Eepresentatives, has paid but $3,454,452 05. (The whole of these 
two States, however, were not within the jurisdiction of the law 
until after the termination of the rebellion.) [Long antl con- . 
tinned applause.] 

TROOPS FURNISHED. 

From a message of Mayor AYallach at the close of the war it 
appears that the records of the War Department show that the 
total number of men received into the United States service and 
credited to this District from the commencement to the close of 
the rebellion was 16,872. Their numbers, when compared with 
the population of the District, sufficient!}' attest the loyal spirit 
of its people. No State, except Kansas, supplied so large a pro- 
portion of troops, whether computed b}' the actual number of 



6 

enlistments or by the diiferent terms of service. The population 
of the District by the census of 1860 was 75,000. The number 
of troops furnished by the District of Columbia, computed on 
three years' standard of service, was 11,506, or one to less than 
every seven of its population; while in the States the proportion 
was about one in every ten of the population, based on the cen- 
sus of 1860. A direct war tax was levied upon the people of the 
United States, and the amount paid by the city of Washington 
was $42,200. Claims to the amount of some $475,000,000 have 
been presented by the several States for reimbursements for 
expenses incurred in furnishing troops to defend the Govern- 
ment of the United States, and several millions have already been 
refunded by the General Government, but not one dollar hag 
been allowed to this District for her expenditures for the same 
purpose. [Sensation.] 

RIVER AND HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS. 

The amount expended by the Government for river and har- 
bor improvements throughout the country during the past 
twenty years w411, it is safe to assume, exceed $50,000,000; yet 
within that period not one dollar has been expended for improv- 
ing the river or harbor at the national capital. I have known 
of several instances in the West where many thousand dollars 
have been expended to improve small streams that now are not 
navigated by more than three flat-boats a year. [Laughter.] 
And why? The sole inducement for the expenditure of these 
appropriations is, that representatives in Congress have con- 
stituents whose votes they wish to secure for re-election. These 
representatives, having no constituents in the District of Colum- 
bia, consequently the noble Potomac and harbor at the national 
capital have been thus shamefully neglected for these twent}^ 
years or more. Yet the Government collects tonnage duties 
upon all vessels entering the District. In the meantime, the cor- 
porate authorities of Washington and Georgetown have found 
it necessary to appropriate several thousand dollars to keep the 
channel in navigable condition. 

COMMON SCHOOLS. 

There are 11,227 children in the public schools of the District, 
as per statement of School Superintendent Richards. Mr. Rich- 
ards states that more than one half of the children in the public 
schools belong to families connected in some way with some 
branch of the Government, and their j)arents pay no taxes. 



The parents of these children referred to by Superintendent 
Richards are the constituents of Senators and Representatives. 
They hold office in some of the Grovernment departments, retain- 
ing their residence in the several States from Avhich they were 
appointed ; they pay no taxes towards the improvement of the 
District, but their children are educated^at the expense of the 
District tax-payers; and yet Congress has persistently refused 
to donate any public lands for school purposes in the District of 
Columbia. 

By the following exhibit, for which I am indebted to Hon. 
Joseph S. Wilson, Commissioner of the General Land Office, it 
will be seen with what lavish generosity the Government has en- 
couraged the school system of the "West. 

Statement showing the quantity of public lands estimaied as granted ly theUnited 
States to the several States containing public lands for the support of cornmon 
schools, and reserved, to be hereafter appropriated for the same purpose in the 
organized Territories ; the quantities in the Territories being estimated on the 
presumed basis that the grant will be extended to the Territories by congres- 
sional enactments, viz : 

States. Acres. States and Acres. 

Territories. 

Ohio 704,488 Kansas 2,891,309 

Indiana 650,317 Nevada 3,985,428 

Illinois 985,066 Nebraska 2,702,044 

Missouri 1,199,139 Territories. 

Alabama 902,774 Washington 2,488,675 

Mississippi 837,584 New Mexico 4,309,368 

Louisiana 786,044 Utah 3,008,613 

Michigan 1,067,397 Dakota 5,366,451 

Arkansas , 886,460 Colorado 3,715,555 

Florida 908,503 Montana 5,112,035 

Iowa , 905,144 Arizona 4,05o',350 

Wisconsin 958,649 Idaho 3,068^231 

California 6,719,324 Wyoming 3,48o',28l 

Minnesota 2,969,990 

Oregon 3,329,706 Total 67,983,922 



Geneeal Land Office, January 8, 1870. 

Xot one acre to the District of Columbia. 

Compare the generous action of Congress in that exhibit towards 
the people of the States and Territories with their treatment of 
the school interest of this District, and it presents a condition of 
affairs which should cause the nation's legislators to blush at 
their neglect of the school interests of the national seat of Gov- 
ernment; especially is our case aggravated, when the fact as 
stated by Superintendent Eichards is considered in connection 
therewith. 

Well has it been said that the District of Columbia, the ward 
of the nation, over which Congress has exclusive jurisdiction, is 
treated like a neglected step-child. [Laughter and applause.] 



AGRICULTURAL COLLIE SCRIP. 

Eut a few years ago Congress again distributed a large por- 
tion of its public lands among several of the States in the shape 
of agricultural scrip, as is shown in the following exhibit : 

Statement showing the names of the States entitled to Agricultural College scrip 
under act of July 2, 1862, and supplements, which have accepted the grant and 
received the scrip, with the quantity of scrip, viz : 
States. Acres in Scrip States. Acres in Scrip. 

Vermont 150,000 Massachusetts 360,000 

Connecticut 180,000 New Hampshire 150,000 

Rhode Island 120,000 West Virginia 150,000 

Kentucky 330,000 Ohio 6.30,000 

Illinois 480,000 Maryland 210.000 

New York 990,000 Indiana 390,000 

Maine 210,000 Delaware 90,000 

Pennsylvania 780,000 Tennessee 300,000 

New Jersey 210,000 North Jarolina 370,000 

Total number of acres in scrip issued 6,000,000 

General Land Office, Jan. 8, 1870. ^==^ 

As usual, not an acre donated for the benefit of the District of 
Columbia. Having no voice in the councils of the nation, we are 
dependent entirely upon those whose whole attention is occupied 
by distant and distinct interests ; and while they are unmindful 
of our interests in a great deal that pertains to our welfare and 
prosperity, yet no opportunity is missed to require our peoj)le to 
contribute their full share of the burdens for the maintenance 
and support of the Government. 

RAILROADS. 

Congress has also, in its generous bounty, donated 185,890,- 
794.67 acres of public land to several States and corporations in 
aid of the construction of railroads throughout the West ; yet at 
the capital of the nation no Government encouragement was 
ever rendered, and hence we have but one line leading to the 
North and one line South. For years we have applied to Con- 
gress to grant us charters for increased railroad facilities, but our 
efforts have been in vaiu. At the last session of Congress I had 
the honor, in company with Mayor Bowen, to visit Congress to 
procure the passage of an act giving citizens of Washington, in 
their corporate capacity, the privilege of subscribing $1,500,000 
to aid in bringing into our cit}^ two more lines of railroad. 
Congress did not take the time to act upon the matter, and 
has not to this day. We worked long, diligently, and well, 
but all to no purpose. And now some members of that body 
raise objections to Washington as the place to hold the Inter- 
national Exhibition because of its want of railroad facilities. 



9 

Deny ns the privilege to expend our own means in building rail- 
roads, and then denounce us because we have not proper railroad 
facilities ! " O, consistency, thou art a jewel !" [Great applause.] 

Fellow-Citizens: It is not solely for the neglect of Congress in 
regard to donations of land and appropriations of means for the 
benefit of the nation's capital of which I complain; it is, among 
other things, the shameful disregard constantly manifested by 
that body to our petitions and appeals for relief from the old 
laws of Maryland, which were inherited in the cession of the 
District from that State. Our energies are bound down by laws 
enacted nearly a century ago, and not at all applicable to our 
present condition or the progress of the times. For instance, 
let me cite the old usuty law of Maryland, which is in full force 
in this District to-day. It enacts that if money is loaned at a 
greater ]*ate than six per cent, per annum, the lender is liable to 
forfeit both principal and interest. Money is the sinew of enter- 
j)rise as well as of war, and unless it can be legally protected in 
its use in this District at the usual rates throughout the country, 
it will not flow in here. 

We have asked again and again of Congress for the liberal- 
izing of this law, and to give us such statutes as govern their 
own constituents; but so far our eiforts have been unavailing. 
Yet the Grovernment of the United States have offered seven and 
three tenths per cent, per annum interest to induce capital to 
come to her relief; but if a citizen of this District takes a fraction 
over six per cent., he is liable to forfeit all. With liberal laws 
regulating the use of money here, (if any regulation is neces- 
sary,) capital would seek investment; new enterprises would 
spring up in our midst; millions of dollars now invested by our 
citizens in Government securities would be unlocked and flow 
into the numerous channels of industrial enterprise developed 
by the renewed energies of our people. 

We have for the past ten years prayed to Congress at every 
session to grant us a general act of incorporation, under which 
the combination of capital and energy could establish manufac- 
turing and other productive and useful enterprises in our midst, 
all tending in their results to the prosperity and welfare of our 
people, at the same time, in their efl'ect, promoting the attrac- 
tions and comforts of the nation's capital, and largely enhancing 
the value of the Government property here. 

We are not asking Congress to appropriate money to aid us 
in our enterprises; we onl}^ ask them to appropriate the brief 
time necessary to give us liberal legislation, and if they will but 



10 

do that much, we will, by our own energies, make the nation's 
capital, in its comforts, conveniences, and magnitude, worthy of 
being the seat of Government of our wide-spread Eepublic! 
[Great applause.] 

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE. 

The numerous constituents of Congress visiting the capital 
are no doubt shocked at the condition of the broad avenue 
leading from the Capitol to the President's House, and breathe 
curses deep, and often loud, at the citizens of Washington for not 
manifesting proper energy and putting it in good order. The 
anathemas hurled at the people of Washington for the shameful 
condition of that thoroughfare is not confined to visitors, but I 
have heard more than one member of Congress express the same 
denunciatory remarks. While the ignorance of visitors as to 
who has the entire control over the avenues of this city may ex- 
cuse their indignation, yet how unjustifiable are such expressions 
from those who have exclusive jurisdiction in the premises, and 
are alone accountable for its shameful condition. I have been 
before Congress with several committees of our citizens asking 
for the authority to have Pennsylvania avenue paved, but never 
have been able to get a measure for that purpose through both 
Houses. 

Let me state an incident right in point, recently related to me, 
which occurred some three or four years ago. The property- 
holders of Louisiana avenue, between Sixth and Seventh streets, 
on which fronts the Seaton House, disgusted at the horrid con- 
dition of the street, and knowing the hopelessness of getting 
authority from Congress, within the lifetime of human patience, 
resolved to take the resi)onsibility of putting down a valuable 
pavement at their own expense, trusting that Congress (which 
has exclusive control of the avenue) would passively acquiesce; 
but no sooner had they commenced the proposed improvement 
than an officer of the Government prohibited their going on with 
the work until first acquiring authority from Congress! [Sensa- 
tion.] 

Messrs. Congressmen and your constituents visiting the na- 
tional capital, give full vent to your curses and indignation at 
the condition of the avenues of Washington ! The reason ivhy 
they are so but illustrates the truth of the old saying, that "your 
curses, like chickens, come home to your roost." [Laughter and 
cheering.] 



11 



WHO CONTROLS THE AVENUES. 



That the question of jurisdiction over the avenues of Wash- 
ington may be freshened- to the minds of Congress and the 
countr}^, I submit some extracts from a report made by the Hon. 
Samuel L. Southard, of 'New Jersey, late Yice President of the 
United States, to the second session of the Thirty-Third Con- 
gress : 

"The plan of this city was formed by the public authorities; 
the dimensions of the streets determined by them, without inter- 
ference by the inhabitants, or regard to their particular interests 
or convenience. It is a plan calculated for the magnificent capi- 
tal of a great nation ; but oppressive, from its very dimensions 
and arrangements, to the inhabitants, if its execution to any extent 
is to be thrown upon them. ISTo people who anticipated the exe- 
cution and subsequent support of it out of their own funds would 
ever have dreamed of forming such a plan. It would have been 
consummate folly. At that period neither the Grovernment nor 
the proprietors contemplated that the whole, or even a large pro- 
portion, of the burden should be thrown upon the inhabitants of 
the city. This assertion is amply sustained by two considera- 
tions. In the first place, the contract be I ween the GrOvernment 
and the OAvners of the land gave to the former a large extent of 
public lots, sufficient for all the edifices and improvements which 
its convenience could require ; and, in addition thereto, one-half 
of all the building lots within the city limits ; thus making the 
nation itself an equal owner of all the private property, and 
equally interested, for the benefit of this private property, in all 
the improvements which might be made. In the next place, the 
Government assumed, and, from that day to the present, has 
claimed and exercised, entire and absolute control over all the 
streets of the city, so that the inhabitants or the corporate au- 
thorities have no power either to enlarge or to diminish them, 
nor to open or close them ; but the authority in these respects 
has been exercised at all times by Congress. It has even closed 
one of the streets and sold the ground which formed a part of it. 
It has also changed the situation of the streets and canal, retain- 
ing to itself the lots thereby thrown open, and the Supreme 
Court has sustain<.'d its authority in so doing. It could not have 
entered into the contemplation of any one at the date of the con- 
tract, nor can it now be regarded as either reasonable or just 
that the city should bear the expense of the streets, the property 
and control of which was so absolutely in the Government, and 
more than one-half of the land adjacent, which belonged to it, 
must be increased in value by their improvement. 

" The committee are of opinion that the Government was 
bound b}' every principle of equal rights and justice to pay a pro- 
portion of the expense incurred upon 'this subject, equal to the 
amount of property which it held, and which was increased in 



12 

value and benefited by it ; and this would have been greatly 
more than one-half. 

"If the streets are its property, and to be regarded as altogether 
under its control, it is not easy to perceve why it should call 
upon or permit others to keep that property in order; and if the 
streets are to be regarded as for the joint convenience of the 
Government and the inhabitants, the expense of maintaining 
them should be joint, and in proportion to their respective inte- 
rests. The early action of the Government and its agents is 
believed to have been in conformity with this principle,. but the 
Government has not heretofore borne anything like its relative 
proportion. Its expenditures for this object have been compara- 
tively small, and devoted almost entirely to the avenues and 
streets which are indispensably necessary for the convenience of 
Congress and the public offices. To exhibit the views of those 
who were intrusted by the nation with control and management 
of this subject, the committee add to this a rei:)ort from President 
A^^ashington to the commissioners, dated 14th December, 1795; 
a letter from President Jcfterson to the commissioners, dated 
August 29, 1801 ; and a copy of a message from Mr. Jefferson to 
Congress, on the 11th of January, 1802. * ^~ * =^ 

"CsOngress has expended nothing except upon streets which 
adjoin the public squares, and even upon such has only made 
some pavements and walks and set out some trees along the 
squares, leaving the rest of the expense of even those streets to 
be borne by the city. 

"While, on the other hand, the city has not only expended its 
money on the streets where even the population was scattered 
over an immense area, but especially opened and improved those 
leading to the national establishments at the navy ^^ard and 
arsenal, and those leading to and around the public squares and 
reservations belonging to the nation, and thus, by its own means, 
enhanced the value of public property. 

" The immense property of the Government which has been 
thus benefited has been at all time free from taxation, while the 
property of individuals adjoining it has been subjected to it. In 
several of the States of the Union, where the Government holds 
landed estate, it had paid taxes upon it, and these taxes have been 
expended for the ordinary municipal purposes of the places where 
the property was situated. In the city of Washington the case 
has been directly the reverse. Holding here more property than 
anywhere else, it has been subj«ected to no imposition of this 
kind. In the acts of incorporation, which gave the city a partial 
control and regulation over the streets, there is no exemption of 
the property of the Government from taxation, and it might, 
perhaps, be properly inferred that Congress did not intend that 
it should be exempted, but that it should be equally subject to 
those burdens which became necessary for the common benefit 
of the whole. But the corporate authorities have, with prudence 
and propriety, abstained from levying taxes upon it, and have 
laid the whole weight upon that part of the property which 
belongs to individuals, while the Government has been equally 



13 

participant in the benefits which have resulted from them. The 
assessments have been regularly made upon all, public and private 
alike, but the taxes have been collected only from the private 
holders of property. * ^ * * >ii * * 

" These streets are not only oppressive from their size and extent 
in their original formation, but they will, from the same causes, 
continue to be an unending source of expense in their repairs. They 
must annually cost nearly double the amount of streets of the 
same length of moderate dimensions. The Government, which 
created this condition of things, ought not to be very deaf to the 
complaints of those upon whom such a burden has fallen. * * 

" It has been stated before that the avenues and streets were 
transferred without any pecuniary compensation therefor being 
made by the Government. 

" The reservations of ground for public use consist of seven- 
teen entire squares, or large sections, in various parts of the 
city, and contain 541 acres, 1 rood, and 36 perches of land. On 
some of these the Capitol, President's House, and other public 
buildings have been erected. The rest of them are either open 
and unoccupied, or have been devoted to public uses, according 
to the discretion of Congress on the subject. 

" For xhis large extent of land, equal to all its present and pro- 
spective vs^ants,the Government paid nominally the sum of $36,399 
to the proprietors of the soil, but in reality nothing. This sum was 
not paid from the general treasury, nor one cent of it contributed 
by the people of the United States. 

''The whole of it was taken out of the proceeds of the sales 
of building lots, which had also been secured by the Government 
'in the contract with landholders. It thus appears that the peo- 
ple of the United States have paid nothing for all these public 
lots, nor for the property in the streets. They procured them, and 
now own them, ivithout the expenditure of a single dollar. It is 
difficult to estimate the present value of the public grounds. 

" In 1836 there had been received from the sale of building lots, which cost 

the Government nothing $741,024 48 

And the value of the public reservation was 1,500,000 00 

$2.241.024 48 

Since that time hundreds of thousands of dollars have been 
received by the General Government from the further sales of 
lots originally donated to it, theproceedsof which have not been 
applied to the original purpose and contract with the citizens of 
this city. 

Continuing, said report proceeds to state — 

" They regard it (this District) as the child of the Union ; as 
the creation of the Union for its own purposes. The design of 
the Constitution and its founders was to create a residence for 
the Government, where they should have absolute and unlimited 



14 

control; which should be regulated and governed by them, with- 
out the interference of partial interests in the States; which 
should be built up and sustained by their authority and resources ; 
not dependent upon the will or resources of any State or local 
interest. If this had not been the design, it is not easy to com- 
prehend either the principle which would prevent the Govern- 
ment from a liberal appropriation of national resources to ac- 
complish the object, or the policy which Avould confine the city 
to the means possessed by the inhabitants for its improvement. 

'•In accomplishing their object, the Union undertook the guar- 
dianship of the District, deprived its inhabitants of the right of 
self-government and of the elective franchise, and made them 
dependent upon the will of the representatives of the States, to 
w^hom alone they can look for relief" 

MARKET HOUSE. 

Probably no one prominent object in the city commands so 
many opprobrious epithets and is so universally conceded a nui- 
sance, alike by citizens and sojourners, as the group of old sheds 
fronting five hundred feet along Pennsylvania avenue, and styled 
the Centre market. Mark Twain, in one of his lectures, said 
that, in all his travels around the world, visiting objects of inte- 
rest in Christian and heathen lands, his national feeling was 
constantly buoyed up by the recollection that at the national 
capital of his own proud Eepublic there existed a structure whose 
equal was not to be found on the face of the habitable globe — • 
the Centre market-house, on Pennsylvania avenue. [Long-con- 
tinued laughter and cheers.] 

Fellow-Citizens: In our effort to procure the charter for our 
proposed International Exhibition we have been met with the 
statement that our city is not in condition to invite visitors from 
the Old World here, special stress being laid upon the condition 
of Pennsylvania avenue, and its twin relic of Congressional 
orphanage, the market-house. 

Having shown wherein the responsibility lies, as regards the 
avenue, indulge me a moment while I pay due respect to the 
market-house question. 

These old dilapidated sheds are on one of the reservations 
donated to the Greneral Government, and for years the city has 
had possession by suffrance, and has continually occupied it for 
market purposes. 

Four years ago our city authorities proposed to erect an ele- 
gant structure on the premises, and present a building which 
would be a credit to Pennsylvania avenue, clean and commodious, 
for market purposes. Plans were adopted which would require the 



15 

expenditure of several hundred thousand dollars, and the money 
was appropriated by our city. After the erection of the found- 
ation, at an expense of several thousand dollars. Congress sud- 
denly realized the fact that the old white- washed landmark and 
guide-post for meandering representatives was about to disap- 
pear and a permanent structure erected in its place. Congres- 
sional wrath was aroused — a portion of " eminent domain " was 
about to be occupied by the citizens of the national capital, with- 
out first having received permission from the Congress of the 
United States! The wheels of general legislation were imme- 
diately stopped, and a matter relating to the District of Colum- 
bia received the time and attention of Congress. Was it a mat- 
ter for the welfare of our people that passed so promptly ? Let 
the following letter sjDcak for itself: 

" House op Eepresentatives, 

"Washington, D. C, June 25, 1866. 
" Hon. J". P. Usher, Secretary of the Interior. 

"Sir: The House unanimously ^?i,^^Qd. a joint resolution this 
morning authorizing you, among other things, to prevent the 
erection of qj\j permanent building upon any square or reserva- 
tion in this city. 

" It was intended to hit the case of the market building now 
going np on Pennsylvania avenue and Eighth street. 
" I hope you will give them notice to stop immediately. 
" Very respectfully, John B. Steele, 

*' Chairman District Committee, H. R. 

Fellow-citizens: It is the neglect and indifference on the part 
of Congress towards our appeals for 23roper legislation which 
arouses the just indignation of our people. ( We ask no aid from 
the Grovernment, but we demand justice. [Cheers.] I think I 
have said enough to convince the committee to be appointed to 
urge the passage of the Exhibition bill that we have some foun- 
dation on which to base our demand. AYe ask for no money to 
aid us in this measure, yet it is an enterprise of the greatest na- 
tional importance. There is not an artisan in any township of 
our broad land but who would be benefited by such an exhibi- 
tion of the industrial arts of the world as our people have taken 
the first steps to inaugurate. We only ask for the opportunity^ 
to invest our money in the enterprise. If our efforts in this 
matter shall fail by reason of the indifference or purposed neglect 
on the part of Congress, it will be another striking illustration 
of the abuse growing out of our political condition — '-heavy 
\axation and no representation." [Loud and continued applause 



\ 



16 

and cheers.] It seems to me that the incentive which induced 
the throwing of the tea overboard in Boston harbor was but a 
tithe in comparison to the inflictions under which the 170,000 
peojDle of this District suffer by the non-action of Congress in 
regard to such legislation as is needed for the working out of 
our salvation by our own industry and energies. [Applause.] 

I think that with a united and persistent effort we can procure 
action in Congress. The representatives of the American people 
will be just, if we can only command their attention till they 
hear our case fully. \Let them give us liberal legislation suitable 
to the times and our circumstances ;|let them break the shackles 
which bind our energies/by re^©«li«g-'the old Marjlanc^laws in 

The remarks madfe by Hon. tfiomas B. Bryan, of Chicago, at 
our last meeting, wherein he stated that we needed but vim to 
push Washington forward with Chicago strides of prosperity, 
is evidence that he is unacquainted with the difficulties we 
labor under. Chicago has liberal, encouraging legislation. Wash- 
ington has none. I assert, without fear of successful contradic- 
tion, that the people of Washington have displayed as much 
energy in the past five years, when is fully considered the tre- 
mendous disadvantages under which we labor, as the people of 
Chicago, and that we have not accomplished more is not for the 
want of energetic and enterprising citizens, but is owing wholly 
to the fact that the General Government denies to us the same 
privileges and rights of liberal legislation which is secured to 
the citizens of the several States throuo-h their several Lemsla- 
tures. [Great applause and excitement.] 

During Mr. Kilbourn's remarks the audience manifested the 
wildest enthusiasm by constantly interrupting him with cheer- 
ing and applause for the able manner, great power, and eloquence 
with which he urged that the people of the District of Columbia 
had long enough borne " taxation without representation," and 
upon retiring he received round upon round of applause ; many 
of the audience, upon the adjournment, going to the stage to 
congratulate him. 



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